


Ikki's Story: The Prodigal

by notgeorgelucas



Series: Mothers and Daughters [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen, Growing Up, Korrasami is Canon, Running Away, makorrasami - Freeform, try posting this with a kitten demanding to be played with
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 21:25:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16710310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notgeorgelucas/pseuds/notgeorgelucas
Summary: Sometimes a crisis can tear a family apart; sometimes, it can bring a family back together.





	Ikki's Story: The Prodigal

(187 AG)

 

“I don’t understand,” Doctor Akiko Kaze pleaded as she hurried to keep up with her husband. Her heels clacked loudly against the marble floors of the Fire Nation palace. “Shin, why would she want to see me?”

“I wish I could tell you, honey,” her husband replied. He turned toward her and smiled sympathetically, looking resplendent and official in his Fire Nation uniform. “But when she gives an order…” He tapped the blue dragon emblem on his uniform for emphasis.

“But I was busy…” Akiko glanced around. The entire corridor was ominously empty, which did nothing for her peace of mind. “I was in the middle of translating those medical documents, the ones Master Jinora’s really insistent on receiving…I don’t have time for this…” A breeze emerged from the shadows, dancing around her legs and slowly swirling upward.

“Sweetheart.” Shin gave his wife a warning glance. The breeze disappeared. “You have to be a bit more careful about that, okay?”

“Sorry, sorry,” she gulped. “I’m just…nervous.”

“At any rate,” he noted, “we’re here.” He paused at a large pair of heavy iron doors, dragons writhing and swirling on either side from top to bottom. “It’s going to be okay, Akiko. I’ll be there the entire time, and she seemed eager to talk to you. That’s a good sign, trust me.” He knocked firmly on the doors and pushed them open. “After you.”

Akiko looked around as she stepped into the huge room. The floors and walls were a bright white marble, and the far wall offered an incredible view of the Fire Nation. Guards stood in precisely equidistant locations, their eyes never leaving the old woman lounging languidly on an ornate couch.

“Well, there you are,” the old woman said brightly. Her yellow eyes were an odd mixture of cunning and madness. “You should have been here ten minutes ago, great-granddaughter. It’s not nice to keep an old woman waiting.”

Akiko gulped. “My apologies, Princess Azula. I…” she stopped abruptly. “Great-granddaughter?”

“Oh for… didn’t anyone tell you?” Azula snapped. “You’re of my blood-line, child. I’d think that obvious. All languages are the same to a dragon, didn’t you know that?” She snorted and reached for a nearby glass. “Come here, come here. Sit down. We have things to discuss.”

Akiko tentatively made her way over to a chair beside the couch. She’d heard many things about the princess over the years. Rumor had it that her soul had once been merged with a great dragon in order to retain what little of her sanity that remained. Other stories claimed the dragon had been there all along and the inner conflict had driven her to madness. Some people called her an oracle; others called her insane. Akiko wasn’t quite sure the two were mutually exclusive.

“So, how is your family?” Azula asked casually. “Oh, wait. That’s right. You haven’t spoken to them in some time, have you?” Her smile was stiletto-thin. “At least, not by the name they gave you, isn’t that right?”

“I…no, I haven’t,” Akiko said after a long moment. “Not for seven years. Not by that name.”

“Seven years. My, so much can happen in seven years.” Azula mused on the idea. “You know, Zuzu went from outcast to Fire Lord in three. Can you imagine how much things have changed in seven years?”

“There are reasons…” Akiko began to no avail.

“Why, the Avatar and her spouse alone have added three children to their family in that time,” Azula continued blithely. “Haven’t you wondered what’s become of your brothers and sister, or your parents?”

“I…”

“I mean, certainly one hears things now and then through the media and such, but it’s not the same as hearing it firsthand, now is it? Why, there could be all sorts of little things going on that you know nothing about, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Princess, as I was about to say, there are…” Akiko tried again.

Azula cut her off with a curt wave. “Well, that ends today, dear. It’s time you returned home.”

“I…beg your pardon?” Akiko gasped.

Azula leaned forward, her eyes glowing with an inner fire. “No more hiding. No more games. They are going to need you, and you need to make peace with him before it’s too late.”

“I…I…”

“Go home, Ikki.” She could feel Azula’s warm breath against her face. “Go home **now**.”

*****

_Ikki wasn’t sure when the doubts had started, but the memory of the first “Korra’s Kids” festival was a strong contender. Korra had come up with the idea one rainy day: a picnic, party and meet & greet to be held at Avatar Korra Park, everyone invited. Despite the warnings from anyone who had a shred of common sense, though, Korra was convinced that attendance would be relatively small. Maybe a few dozen kids, certainly no more than that, to her thinking._

_Korra realized her mistake that morning when she looked out at the enormous crowd waiting for her to speak. Fortunately, Asami and Lin Beifong had planned more wisely, so things weren’t a total disaster. But  Ikki and the rest of the Air Nation were quickly “volunteered” to help out where needed, with the vague promise of getting some free time vanishing under the horde that had shown up to cheer on the Avatar._

_There was so much to do, and everything seemed to be “right this minute”, but every so often Ikki got a few precious minutes to catch her breath and look around. She stared at the city girls in their nice, colorful outfits as they stood around giggling and flirting with the handsome boys that seemed to be everywhere. Once or twice she worked up the nerve to talk to them, and they were polite enough to her face, but Ikki could hear the comments about her ‘squirrel suit’ as she walked away. Her face still burned red at the humiliating memory._

_“You mustn’t let that get to you, Ikki,” her father would recite. “You’re an airbender. You can do things that they could never hope to do.” For some reason he believed that would comfort her._

_Then there were the times she had to take Rohan to the movers, since Jinora was too busy with “master duties” and her mother was far too smart to send Meelo out without parental supervision. Her youngest brother absolutely adored those stupid ‘Pabu the Magical Fire Ferret’ features, so someone had to take him, so Ikki got volunteered...again. So she’d sit beside Rohan as he raptly watched the shiny animation features, but her attention was elsewhere. Ikki found herself watching the boys and girls whispering, giggling, and kissing inside the dark theater, and the ache got just a little bit worse each time._

_“It’s all right, Ikki,” her father pontificated. “One of these days you’ll meet a fine young airbender who’s right for you, just like Jinora did with…err…with Kai…” Now admittedly that had been funny, but it didn’t help cure the ache. Ikki wasn’t sure if anything ever would._

*****

 “What in the hell was that about?” Akiko demanded back in her office. “Who does she think she is?”

“A dragon,” Shin said quietly.

“Ha. Ha. You’re hilarious.” She flopped back into her battered desk chair and ignored the little puff of dust that resulted. “First off, if something was going on, I’d have heard about it through the papers and the grapevine. Second, it’d take a big something to make me even consider going back there. Third, I’ve got too much to do right now. The Eastern Air Temple is really making noises about this translation. I’ve been getting daily status requests for a week now…”

“Look, I’ve seen Azula do this before,” Shin pleaded. “She doesn’t see time the way we do. Sometimes she says things that…well, I guess you could call them prophecies, but they always come to pass. **Always.** ”

“Yeah, right,” Akiko said, rolling her eyes and reaching for her glasses.

“Akiko…she told me you were pregnant a week before you found out.” Shin smiled as she looked up at him. “And then she told me we’d have a girl and what we’d name her, and…that other thing.” He smiled cryptically.

“Don’t remind me,” Akiko sighed. “She’s just a little too smart, a little too sneaky, and way too talented for her own good.”

“Like her mother,” Shin grinned.

 Akiko’s assistant Hikari appeared at the door. She glanced down worriedly at the newspapers in her arms. “Doctor Kaze,” she said slowly. “These came in while you were out. I…thought you ought to see them right away.”

“Well, bring them here,” Akiko snapped, motioning the young woman to come over. She took the top paper—the Republic City Journal—and stared at the headline for a long moment.

“I thought you should know,” Hikari gulped.

Akiko took a deep breath. “Hikari,” she finally said, “clear my appointments for the next two weeks. Get me a reservation on the Republic City ferry for tomorrow morning.” She rummaged around her desk, gathering this parchment and that as she talked. “Shin, would you ask Kaoru if she could watch Padme while I’m gone. She sighed heavily. “Go on, Shin. Go on and say it. I know you want to.”

“I’m sorry,” he said instead.

“Not half as sorry as I’m going to be.” Akiko tossed the newspaper onto her desk. The headline read in bold letters: **MASTER TENZIN’S TRAGIC LAST DAYS!**

*****

_Asami knew how to throw a party and she loved to host them. The best ones were held in the summer; a huge buffet table lined the back yard porch and while Asami would gracefully circulate among the adults, Korra would roughhouse with the children in the expansive back yard. The huge swimming pool was off-limits, though, owing to a certain incident with Naga. Ikki had heard that they were still trying to unclog the filtering system._

_Ikki hadn’t meant to sneak into Asami and Korra’s bedroom. She’d just needed to find an available bathroom. But on her way out her eyes fell on Asami’s vanity table, and the lure was just too irresistible. Ikki dabbled and brushed the colors on her cheeks, applied three different colors of lipstick, and was having the time of her life when she heard Asami’s voice from behind her: ““If it’s any consolation, I caught Korra doing the exact same thing when she moved in. Want me to teach you how it’s done?”_

_Ikki apologized profusely, but oddly enough the older woman seemed more amused than angry. “Go wash up first.” When Ikki returned, Asami smiled and gently pushed her back down in front of the vanity. A few minutes later, Ikki stared at the bright, beautiful face in the mirror for an eternity before bursting into tears. A mystified Asami hugged her tightly and assured her that everything was all right, but it wasn’t. It never would be._

*****

Akiko threw clothes into her suitcase haphazardly, her mind racing. “Slow down,” Shin cautioned her. “If you forget anything, I can bring it when Padme and I get there in a few days.”

“I’m sorry,” she said absently, as she tossed her makeup bag into the mix. “I’m just not sure what I’ll be walking into. The Journal isn’t the most accurate or reliable paper over there, for one thing. But the other papers were pretty vague about his condition, and it’s not like I can call the hospital and ask.” She snorted ruefully. “I doubt I’m even on the approved visitor list.”

“Don’t go making trouble that…” Shin paused and smiled. “You **are** taking your ‘Fire Nation Power Suit’, aren’t you?”

“I’m just being prepared.” She turned and smiled as Hurricane Padme came rushing into the room.

“Mommy Mommy Mommy are we going to Republic City? Are we going to get to ride the train and the ferry or are we going to ride a sky bison because I’ve never seen a sky bison before except in pictures and they look really big and fuzzy and I bet one would let me scratch his head and all my friends at school are jealous and am I really going to get to meet the nice grandma and the grouchy grandpa who yells and turns red and when are we going to go I really want to go with you why can’t I go with you now?”

Akiko regarded her daughter for a long moment. “You found the cookies, didn’t you?”

“Yeah! You had a really good hiding space this time but I was able to boost myself up and open the cabinet and they were really good ones except for the sugar-free ones that you put in there to make me think that they’re all just as icky but I’m on to you now so I make sure to try three or four when I find them!”

“Young lady,” Akiko tried to sound angry, but that bright, eager face made it next to impossible. “What have we discussed several times in the recent past?”

“Beg forgiveness, not permission!”

Akiko sighed and shook her head. “Tell your mother I’m sorry, Shin. Tell her I’m really, really sorry.”

“She can handle Padme,” Shin grinned. “Sweetheart, we’re going to have to leave for the station in a few minutes.”

“You’re right, sorry.” Akiko sat down on the bed and reviewed her mental checklist. “Got my train ticket to the port, got my ferry pass...I’m good.” She looked up at her husband. “I wish you were going with me, honey.”

“You’re going to be fine. You’re Doctor Akiko Kaze, curator of the Air Nation Archives and survivor of a dozen budget battles. No one will dare stand in your way.”

“I hope you’re right,” she fretted as she grabbed her suitcase. “You’ve never met Meelo.”

*****

_It wasn’t much, just a cheap, thin yellow necklace that didn’t have a trace of gold in it. Ikki had very carefully saved her “mover popcorn money” until she was able to buy it at a corner drug store. She kept it hidden away in her room, only taking it out at night when she was sure everyone was asleep._

_It took Meelo four days to find it and report it to their parents._

_The confrontation came one evening after dinner. Jinora was reading a book to Rohan, Ikki was slouched in a chair staring at an old piece of parchment, and Meelo was being Meelo. “Ikki,” Tenzin announced as he and Pema entered the family room. “Your mother and I are…” He paused, confused. “What are you doing?”_

_“Reading this thing you left on the table,” she replied. “Why?”_

_“That’s…an old Air Nation document, in the original writing,” Tenzin said slowly. “You…you can read it?”_

_“Sure,” she shrugged. “It’s easy. I mean, you **did** teach me…”_

_“Easy,” he echoed, dazed at the revelation. “Doctor Ide at the Air Nation Archives sent that to me the other day, asking my opinion about it. He was of the belief that…”_

_“It’s a recipe for beet soup.”_

_Tenzin stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Ah,” he finally nodded. “Doctor Ide thought it was a love sonnet. I had my doubts, but…” He abruptly remembered the reason for coming in. “Ikki, your mother and I are concerned about your recent behavior.” He held out the necklace. “This is yours, correct?”_

_“Yes,” she nodded nonchalantly, though her heart was racing. “Can I have it back? I paid for it with my own money. It’s mine.”_

_“Ikki,” Tenzin said in that long-suffering voice she hated. “We have discussed this far too many times already. The people of the Air Nation do not believe in retaining non-essential personal belongings…”_

_“Why not?”_

_The room grew ominously quiet. Ikki’s siblings stared at her, incredulous at her challenge. Her mother was wincing, peeking up at Tenzin’s face. Things were becoming a wee bit crimson there. “I beg your pardon?” he said slowly._

_“Why can’t I have personal possessions, like a necklace?” Ikki repeated. “Or normal everyday clothes? Or makeup? Why can’t I look like normal people? What’s the big deal?”_

_“Ikki,” her father had said in those ‘listen to me because I know best’ tones, “As I was saying, Air Nation disciples don’t believe in keeping non-essential possessions. They distract the mind from what’s important. Look at how coveting this thing has affected you—you knew what you were doing was wrong, but you went ahead and did it anyway. Then you tried to keep it a secret from us.”_

_“I didn’t think there was anything wrong about it,” she pointed out defiantly. “And that still doesn’t tell me why you say it is.”_

_“Because…” Tenzin sputtered. “Because that is the way of our people!”_

_“No, that WAS the way of our people, about two hundred years ago! Or at least it was according to the perspective of a twelve-year old boy who got himself stuck in an iceberg for a century!” Ikki had been pondering this for far too long and now was coming out in full force. “Two hundred years, Dad! Look around us! The Fire Nation evolved! The Earth Nation evolved! Even the Water Tribes evolved in that time! And yet you’re bound and determined to keep us stuck in the ways of some past that may or may never have been real ‘because that’s the way it’s always been done’!”_

_“Ikki,” Pema said meekly. “This isn’t the best time…”_

_“Look at the mess you made in the Earth Kingdom after Harmonic Convergence! You expected all those new airbenders to set aside the only way of life they’d ever known and embrace an entirely opposite lifestyle just like that! What were you thinking? ‘Your best friend will be a giant bison’? Seriously?”_

_“That is enough, young lady,” Tenzin warned, his expression darkening even further, but Ikki wasn’t done by a long shot._

_“How do you KNOW these are the ‘ways of the Air Nation’, anyway? For all you know there are some dusty old documents hidden away in the Archives that won’t be discovered until years from now, and they’ll turn everything you’ve taught us completely around!” Ikki took a deep breath. “You have a chance to recreate the Air Nation culture, to make it reflect the current world…and instead you’ve decided to stay stuck in the past!”_

_“Enough!” Tenzin roared. “Young lady, with that kind of attitude you’ll never earn your tattoos and become a master airbender like your sister…!”_

_“Well did you ever consider I don’t WANT to be tattooed? Or is that against the ‘Air Nation ways’ too?”  Ikki shook her head violently. “I just want to look like the other girls, have boys smile at me and treat me like I’m a girl, not an airbender!”_

_“I cannot believe you said that, Ikki!” Tenzin bellowed. Tenzin’s vein was throbbing. “Why can’t you be more like your sister? She understands!” Nearby, Jinora winced and slunk deeper into the sofa, clearly not wanting to have any role in this argument. Meelo and Rohan for their parts simply stared at the combatants’ back-and-forth like it was a ping-pong match._

_“Well I’m NOT HER! I’m me! And while we’re at it, where did you come up with a stupid name like ‘Ikki’? That’s something you say when you step in a pile of bison crap!” Before Tenzin could finish she’d snatched the necklace from his hand and stormed out of the room._

_“IT MEANS ‘RADIANCE’!” Tenzin stood there trembling for a moment before turning to his wife. “What is WRONG with her?” he demanded. “Why does she have to defy me on everything? If I told her the sky was blue, I swear she’d argue it was green!” He shook his head in despair. “What happened to that sweet, loving child who loved to spend every minute she could with me?”_

_“She became a teenager, dear,” Pema reminded him. “Ikki’s discovering who she is, and that’s not easy under the best of circumstances. You’re taking it much too personally.”_

_“I…I just don’t understand!” Tenzin exploded. “I never…”_

_“’…had those problems with Jinora’?” Pema interjected, her right eyebrow rising in warning._

_“I was going to say that I never argued with my father like this,” Tenzin retorted. “Don’t assume that I expect Ikki to be exactly like Jinora. No, that would be too easy,” he muttered under his breath._

_“Tenzin,” Pema said with a heartfelt sigh. “Ikki’s sixteen, she’s a very social person…and there’s really no one here on the island that she can relate to. That alone can’t be easy for her.”_

_“What do you mean? There are plenty of people here—the acolytes, the other airbenders…”_

_“And how many of them are her age?” Pema gently pointed out. “The Harmonic Convergence gave us the grand total of one teenager…and Jinora snapped him up almost immediately.” She placed a comforting hand on her husband’s shoulder.  “Ikki needs to be around boys and girls her own age. And when she does, she wants to feel like she fits in. Is that too much to ask?”_

_“But she’s not like the others! She’s an airbender! I’ve been training her for years so that…” Tenzin started to continue, but Pema’s expression made him pause._

_“Maybe,” she said evenly, “Ikki wants to choose her own path, not blindly accept the one you’ve set up for her. Didn’t you ever rebel against your father that way?”_

_“Of course not,” Tenzin replied, looking away. “I understood my destiny from an early age. Father made it clear. I accepted it.” His shoulders sagged as he sighed. “It wasn’t like I had a choice.”_

_“I know, sweetheart. But Ikki isn’t you. Maybe her destiny lies somewhere else. And it’s the duty of her parents to help her find that path and support her no matter what. Wouldn’t you agree?”_

_“I suppose,” Tenzin sighed again. “But why does she have to be so stubborn?”_

_“Because,” Pema laughed, “she’s her father’s daughter.”_

*****

Akiko stared at the front doors of Republic City Hospital for a very long time. She glanced down at her satchel; the papers she’d laboriously copied on the way over were securely inside. It had been almost eight years; perhaps they wouldn’t even recognize her now. Or perhaps they would and they’d welcome her back, or more likely make angry accusations ending in her leaving forever. At that moment Akiko wished for her great-grandmother’s gift of prophecy.

She sighed and walked inside. She knew the receptionist wouldn’t tell her where her father was, but Akiko was pretty sure where she needed to go. The top floor was generally reserved for the rich and powerful as well as their associates. While Master Tenzin would eschew such privileges, others, such as Asami, the Beifongs, even President Wu would say otherwise. And it wasn’t like Tenzin was in any shape to argue.

Akiko’s finger was almost touching the elevator’s ‘up’ button when the doors slid open.  “What do you think?” Korra asked quietly as she stepped out.

Asami shrugged helplessly. “I know about as much as you do. If the doctors say…” She turned toward Akiko and blinked in surprise. “Excuse me. Don’t I know you?”

“I…” Akiko swallowed hard. “We’ve met, yes.”

“Ikki!” Korra broke into a huge grin. “Well, look who’s back! Welcome home, kiddo!” She pulled Akiko into a bear hug. “Not much of a kiddo anymore, though.”

“It’s good to see you both,” Akiko said, breaking away from the Avatar only to get hugged by Asami. “You guys look great.”

“You look tall,” Asami smiled. “And from the way you’re dressed, I’d say you’ve been living in the Fire Nation, haven’t you?”

“Crap,” Korra sighed. “We owe Mako twenty yuan, don’t we?”

“What?” Akiko gasped.

“Oh, he’s been saying all along that’s where you went, but he could never prove it,” Asami assured her. “So, here to see your father?  We just left there. He’s on the top floor.”

“Along with most of your family,” Korra added. “I wish we could stay and see their faces when you show up.”

“Makes one of us,” Akiko sighed.

“They’ll all be glad to see you,” Asami assured her. “Especially your father.”

“You think?”

“We know.”

Akiko glanced warily at the elevator. “Well, I guess I’d better get this over with,” she said slowly. “See you later, hopefully.”

“It’ll be fine,” Korra smiled. “Promise.”

*****

_Tenzin’s reaction to his daughter’s defiance was predictable: he increased her training, grilled her at every opportunity and grew more critical of her efforts. Ikki’s reaction was predictable as well; she deliberately failed every test, fumbled through every lesson, and worst of all gave the impression she could care less about the consequences._

_Jinora’s reaction to all this was to quietly accelerate her private plans to move with Kai to the Eastern Air Temple so as to get away from the impending, inevitable explosion. Meelo and Rohan simply watched everything unfold and thanked the spirits they weren’t the ones on the receiving end._

_Tenzin had forbidden Ikki from leaving the island, but salvation came a few months later when Korra gave birth to a beautiful baby girl she named Katara. Given both her and Asami’s hectic and frequently-disrupted schedules, they needed a babysitter who could show up on short notice. Since Jinora was busy doing ‘air master things’, the only available candidate was Ikki._

_It was perfect. Ikki loved taking care of Katara. When the baby slept, she went wandering through the sprawling house. Since she might end up being stuck there at odd hours, Asami had given her a room of her own. And Ikki might have accidentally forgotten to tell Asami that as an Air Nomad she wasn’t allowed to accept payment for her services. It must have slipped her mind somehow._

_First came the everyday blouses, slacks and dresses. Next came the makeup, followed by a few simple but pretty pieces of jewelry.  All she needed now was opportunity, and it was so easy to tell her parents that she’d need to stay at the house all night, give her goodbyes to Korra and Asami, change out of her flight suit into civilian clothes and head out to where the ‘normal kids’ were._

_On one particular night there was this boy. He was tall, quiet, good looking and a decent dancer. He couldn’t take his eyes off her any more than she could him. When he walked up to her and awkwardly asked if she’d like to dance, Ikki’s heart almost exploded from her chest._

_“I’m Shin. What’s your name?”_

_She thought quickly. Not only was her true name the most stupid thing ever conceived, it was also a dead giveaway to her identity. “Akiko,” she said with a bright smile._

_“Okay, Akiko, would you…umm…like to…?”_

_“I’d love to,” she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and dragging him out on the floor. She lost track of the time, of the world, of everything except his eyes and that sweet smile. Unfortunately time refused to stop, and at long last they stood side by side staring out at the full moon’s reflection in the bay._

_Shin took a deep breath. “Will I see you again? Can I?”_

_Ikki’s butterflies were the size of sky bison. “I would really like that.” And before she knew what she was doing, she raised her head and kissed him gently on the lips._

*****

Akiko took a deep breath and entered the waiting area. “Good afternoon,” she called out.

Jinora and Meelo were talking; her eldest sister was clearly worried, and it was utterly bizarre to see her not-so-little brother placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. But it was the third person in the room who captured her attention. Her hair was a bit grayer, her face a bit more wrinkled and worn, but Akiko didn’t need to see the familiar red-and-gold robes to know who she was.

Pema walked up to her with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry,” she said in that familiar warm and gentle voice. “This is a private area. If you wouldn’t mind…” Her eyes abruptly narrowed. “Wait…”

Akiko took another breath and smiled weakly. “Hi, Mom.”

Pema paled as recognition set in. “…Ikki?” she said breathlessly.

“It’s me, Mom,” Akiko started to say, but her mother’s sudden embrace knocked the breath out of her. Her brother and sister quickly came over to see for themselves. She smiled weakly and returned her mother’s hug, thinking that on the whole this could have been much, much worse. Of course, it was still early…

Pema reluctantly withdrew first. “Look at you,” she said, smiling and crying at the same time. “My little girl, all grown up. You got so tall…”

“Yeah. I got a second growth spurt when I started eating meat,” Akiko grinned.

“So you’re not a vegetarian anymore?” Meelo asked.

“It’s a bit more difficult to follow that diet over in the Fire Nation,” Akiko retorted. “Besides, I seem to recall you never said no to a Fireburger.”

“Well, Uncle Bumi went to all that trouble…” Meelo grinned. “It hasn’t gotten easier, either. My partner has never managed to go full vegetarian, no matter how good Mom’s cooking is.”

“Your partner?” Ikki exclaimed, delighted.

“Yeah. His name’s Kasuke—another harmonic convergence airbender from up north. He showed up here a year ago with two others, and…” Meelo shrugged helplessly. “What can I say?”

“Kasuke, huh? Congratulations.  Love the goatee, by the way. So where’s Rohan?”

“He’s over on the Island,” Pema explained. “He and Bumi are keeping things running in your father’s absence.”

“Ah. That makes sense.” Akiko turned to her other sibling. “Hi, Jinora.”

To her surprise…or maybe not…her sister’s greeting was less than welcoming. “I always wondered what it would take for you to come back,” she said tightly, keeping her distance. “Took you long enough, though.”

“I came as soon as I could,” Akiko retorted. “I have a husband and a daughter now. I can’t just drop everything and fly off at the drop of a hat.”

 “Wait.” Pema’s eyes narrowed. “You have a daughter, Ikki?”

“That’s right,’Gran-gran’,” Akiko nodded, smiling slightly. “Her name is Padme. And she’s older than yours,” she quickly added, glancing pointedly at Jinora. “’First Grandchild’? I don’t think so…”

 “You…named her after me?” Pema was crying again as she re-enveloped her daughter. “Oh, honey, I can’t wait to meet her…”

 “You’ll love her…just please don’t give her any sugar, okay? So what exactly is going on with Dad? The papers weren’t very specific beyond his ‘tragic last days’.”

Jinora grimaced. “Ugh…the newspapers. And don’t get me started on the radio announcers.”

“Well, that’s what I figured, but there had to be some truth to it, right?”

“It’s not quite that bad but not good either,” Jinora said, shaking her head. “About a week ago, Dad was complaining of a headache all morning. He went into his office after lunch and a few hours later Kuruk started howling frantically. Aunt Kya went to see what was going on, saw Dad lying on the floor unconscious and immediately started working on him while Uncle Bumi called for an airship.”

“So how long had he been lying there?” Akiko asked.

Meelo glanced tentatively at his mother. “We’re not sure,” he slowly confessed. “He’d had lunch, so there was at most a three hour window, they’re thinking.”

“But…surely Mom took him tea or something at some point, didn’t she?” Akiko turned toward Pema. “Mom?”

“I was…in the city,” Pema answered hesitantly. “With all of you grown and gone, and Rohan not needing me that much, I got bored. Asami and Wu suggested I reopen the city soup kitchen, and from there it kind of expanded to a school, and a health clinic, and…” She sighed heavily. “Your father wasn’t very happy about it. He’d thought that once things settled down, we’d just spent the days together on the island. It’s complicated, honey.”

Akiko frowned but let it go for the moment. “So what are the doctors saying?”

“Well, the stroke is one issue,” Jinora replied. “They think he’ll make a good recovery from that, thank Raava. But…they discovered something else along the way. Apparently Dad’s been ill for some time and didn’t bother to tell anyone.”

“What?”

“That’s what we said,” Meelo sighed.

“He’s been suffering from some sort of tremor in his hands,” said Pema. “He’s had trouble eating, holding on to things…” She took a deep breath. “It’s also affecting his airbending.”

“He’s a bit out of control,” Jinora jumped in. “Between the two problems, it’s been hard to make a better diagnosis, much less treat him. They’ve tried chi-blocking and a new medication Varrick came up with…” 

“Bend-B-Gone,” Meelo said in disgust.

“…but nothing seems to be working very well. The medicine makes him miserable and really out of it. We’re at a loss, to be honest. I did write to someone in the Fire Nation to see if she could provide any medical information on this disease and its impact on airbenders, but…”

“Ahh.” Akiko retrieved a sheaf of paper from her bag. “These are the documents you asked about. I finished them up on the way over. His doctors will want to see these as soon as possible.”

Jinora blinked, confused. “Documents? But…”

Akiko smiled. “Doctor Akiko Kaze, Director of the Air Nation Archives, at your service.” She turned to Pema. “Can I see him, Mom?”

*****

_The next three months were the happiest Ikki had ever experienced. Yes, there was the daily grind of the ‘intense training’ regimen that her father was sure would put her on the right track. Ikki quickly realized the value of playing along enough to satisfy his assumptions and that led to peace around the family dinner table. In the meantime the babysitting job continued, and that meant more opportunities to be with Shin afterwards. In retrospect she was amazed it went on as long as it did._

_On one particular evening they were walking together hand-in-hand through Avatar Korra Park. The sun hadn’t quite set, casting a golden hue on everything as they strolled along the path. A group of young earthbenders were practicing (read “showing off”) on behalf of their girlfriends; rocks were sailing back and forth as they parried. One bender overshot his target and to his horror the rock went rocketing toward Ikki.  Her hand instinctively shot up and fired a powerful burst of air toward the projectile, smacking it to a complete stop._

_Horrified, Ikki turned toward Shin. His face was an odd mixture of surprise and bemusement, but there was no anger or fear to be found. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath: “Shin…my name is really Ikki and I’m an airbender and well, actually, I’m one of **the** airbenders I’m sorry I lied to you but it’s just I wanted you to like me as me not as one of those snooty people on Air Temple Island and I really hate the name Ikki it’s a stupid name and if I had a choice I’d be Akiko but my father doesn’t understand and…”_

_Shin gently raised her chin up and kissed her. “I know,” he said, and that was that._

_The days that followed were beautiful, wonderful, exciting and breathtaking, so of course it had to end. On one perfect evening Shin took her hand and smiled sadly. “Akiko…”_

_Her heart thrilled to hear him call her by that name. “I love you, Shin.”_

_His face fell. “I love you too. And that’s why this is killing me. Akiko…my mom wants to move back to the Fire Nation as soon as we can.”_

_“What? Why? Is it me? Did I make her angry or something?” Tears ran down Ikki’s face. This couldn’t be happening, it just couldn’t…_

_“No, it’s nothing like that. My mother…” He sighed heavily. “She had a lot of work going here for a time, but it’s done now and she wants to go home. And she won’t let me stay here alone.”_

_“No, no, no…” Ikki sobbed. “Please…”_

_“Akiko…Ikki, I love you so much. I don’t want to leave, believe me, and if there was some way to stay I’d do it…I’d take you with me if I could…”_

_“I’d go,” she assured him firmly. “In a heartbeat.” Wiping her tears away, she came to a quick decision. “Okay…if it has to be this way, there’s something I want to do…right now with you.” She nodded toward some bushes. “Please.” Shin paled slightly but nodded assent, and in a relatively private spot they took the next step in their relationship._

_It was beautiful, wonderful, exciting and breathtaking and it ended spectacularly. And Chief Beifong had the decency to let them finish before taking them into custody._

_At least Lin used the ferry as opposed to an airship, which would have announced their presence to the world and made Ikki’s humiliation even more complete. “Kid, I really thought you had more sense than this.” Ikki stared at the floor and said nothing. “Look, you and I both know what he’ll do. He’ll bellow, his head will turn beet red, he’ll say something stupid, and ten minutes later he’ll walk it all back. You’re going to be okay.”_

_“No it won’t,” Ikki said in a small voice. “It’s never going to be okay, ever again.”_

_Lin rolled her eyes. “Spirits spare me from over-dramatic teenagers. Okay, we’re here.” She guided Ikki out of the boat and up the long stairway that led to the courtyard in front of the main house. And of course the entire family was there, staring at her rumpled clothing, her frazzled hair and…well, everything. Hopefully no one would notice the hickey, but the way her luck was running, Ikki wasn’t counting on it._

_“This yours, Tenzin?” Lin asked. She wrapped a protective arm around Ikki’s shoulder._

_Tenzin’s gaze was locked on his youngest daughter, his expression stern. “Yes, she is. Thank you for bringing her home, Lin. We’ll do our best to see this doesn’t happen ever again.” Ikki winced._

_To her surprise, the Chief leaned forward and spoke quietly. “Tenzin, you go easy on this girl. I seem to recall a few times where my mother caught us ‘in the act’, and a few more where she didn’t because you all but hovered over the bed.”_

_“Thank you for your advice, Lin, but I can handle my children.”_

_“She didn’t do anything a normal teenage girl wouldn’t do, especially given the boy. You’ve got good taste, kid.” Lin grinned and winked at Ikki, then regarded Tenzin. “Be smart, Tenzin,” she suggested._

_“Thank you for bringing her home,” Tenzin repeated firmly. Lin rolled her eyes and headed back to the pier. Ikki’s eyes remained glued to the ground, unwilling to face her father’s anger. “Well,” he finally said in an angry tone. “What do you have to say for yourself, Ikki?”_

_Ikki said nothing._

_“Why do I believe that when I look deeper into this, I’m going to find a great deal more deceit and deception?” he asked. “I called Korra and Asami and asked to speak with you. They told me you hadn’t been there all night. In fact, they’d never asked you to come over and babysit.”_

_Ikki said nothing._

_Tenzin shook his head. “You have deliberately defied our wishes. You’ve turned your back on everything I have tried to teach you all these years. I…” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to do with you, Ikki. Your mother and I can’t believe a thing you tell us. We can no longer trust you. You’ve proven we can’t. Is that what you wanted, Ikki? Is it?”_

_Ikki said nothing._

_He stared at her for the longest time, saying nothing. Pema, standing just behind him, put a hand on his shoulder. “All right,” he finally said. “I’ve already spoken to Asami and informed her that you’re no longer available to help there. Go to your room. We’ll discuss this in the morning after we’ve had time to rest and reflect._

_Ikki said nothing. The gathering broke up and headed to bed; Ikki waited until she was quite alone, then shuffled off to her room._

*****

 Akiko thought she was ready for this. She wasn’t.

Her father had always been a towering, dominating presence. His every move seemed to be carefully considered, almost dancelike and perfect in execution. His blue tattoo shone in contrast to his shaven head and reflected his deep, piercing blue-gray eyes. His mustache and beard were dark and forceful. When she was little she thought of her father as being like that statue of Aang—a strong, stern and immobile force that watched over and protected her at all times.

The old, frail-looking figure lying in the bed had gray stubble growing on his head that was slowly covering the tattoo. He was unshaven, his mustache and beard bushy and overgrown. His blue eyes were slightly glassy and seemed to be sunken into his skull. The IV needle embedded in his arm…it was as though it was draining his life force away, rather than providing him with medicine. This couldn’t be her father. It couldn’t. But it was.

“Tenzin?” Pema had moved to one side of the bed. “Tenzin…it’s me, honey. I’m here.”

He slowly turned toward her. “…Pema?” he croaked weakly. Akiko shut her eyes tightly to keep the sudden flood of tears at bay.

“That’s right, honey. And look who came to see you.” She motioned for Akiko to draw closer, and when Akiko hesitated she repeated the gesture, this time in a way that demanded, not requested. “Honey,” she said softly, “Look. Ikki’s here.”

Tenzin blinked several times as if trying to brush a fog away. His eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on this stranger’s face. “…Ikki?”

She slowly removed her glasses and damned a few stray tears that trickled down her face. “It’s me, Dad. I came home.” He continued to stare at her, struggling to comprehend through the drug-induced haze.

At long last his eyes widened…and the tears started falling. “Ikki…you’re back…”

That did it; Ikki’s own tears would not be denied. “Daddy…I’m sorry…” she sobbed as she lunged forward to embrace him. “I’m so sorry…” His free arm slowly wrapped around her shoulder, drawing her closer; Ikki felt him trembling as he held her. “I’m…sorry….Ikki, so sorry too…”

*****

_Ikki was comfortably sprawled out in one of the family chairs, intently reading the latest in a long line of Air Script scrolls she’d ‘borrowed’ from her father’s office. They were actually pretty interesting for a change—several folklore tales as well as a selection of Avatar Yangchen’s poetry._

_Her parents walked into the room. Ikki sat up and carefully studied their faces, trying to determine the subject of this lecture. “Ikki,” Tenzin began, “I think we need to have a talk about your behavior of late.”_

_“All right,” she nodded nervously._

_“Honey,” her mother said softly. “I wish you’d been more honest and up-front about things. We would have listened, Ikki. But you never gave us a chance.”_

_“I spoke with Lin about your…’friend’,” said Tenzin._

_“He’s my lover, not my friend.” Ikki’s chin went up defiantly._

_Tenzin refused to take the bait. “Lin said that he seemed to be a very intelligent and upstanding young man. She was a bit concerned about his mother, though. When Lin told her about you, the woman became very agitated with her son. It was a bit uncomfortable to say the least.”_

_That was something knew. Ikki couldn’t remember Shin saying much about his mother. Then again, she hadn’t exactly been forthcoming about her parents, either._

_“At any rate,” her father continued, “it’s my understanding that they left for the Fire Nation this morning. I know you had strong feelings for him, Ikki, but now that he’s gone, I’m hoping that you’ll move on and resume your efforts toward attaining your arrows.”_

_“I don’t want them.” The words had slipped out before she could catch them. Her mother gasped and covered her mouth, while her father simply gaped at her. “I’ve thought about it, and I don’t want them,” she repeated._

_“I don’t understand,” Tenzin said plaintively. “Ikki, you’ve trained for this all your life. We’ve worked together to bring you to this point…and now you don’t want this honor?”_

_Jinora quickly jumped in. “Ikki…you’ll be a master, like me! You can take over a temple and teach new airbenders how to use their gifts! This is what we’ve always wanted!”_

_“It’s what **you’ve** always wanted,” Ikki pointed out. “It’s not what I want any more. I’m sorry.”_

_Her father shook his head. “Ikki…I thought…” He searched for the words, but they refused to come. “If you’re going to turn your back on all your hard work, then what is it you’re going to do?”_

_Ikki rose to her feet, and looked up at her father. “I want to travel around the world and see things, like Aunt Kya and Uncle Bumi did. And I want people to treat me like I’m normal wherever I go. Tattoos would make them treat me differently.”_

_Tenzin had a lousy poker face; his disappointment and pain were clear to see. “I see,” he finally said tightly. “You still want to be ‘normal’? Is that it?”_

_“Is there something wrong with looking like everyone else?” Ikki demanded. “Other benders blend in, why can’t I? I’d still be an airbender, wouldn’t I? Why can’t I have that option?”_

_“I…” Tenzin groped for the words. “These tattoos,” he said, pointing to his head, “are very powerful symbols of the Air Nation! They signify one’s attainment of proficiency, of mastery in the art of airbending! They aren’t just granted to anyone, Ikki! They are an achievement to be worked toward! They are an **honor**!”_

_“Fine! **I don’t want them**!” The rest of the family stood frozen, rendered mute by the intensity of the argument. No one, not even Korra, had ever dared to raise their voice to Tenzin like that._

_Tenzin had reached the limits of his patience. “Fine, then! Go out into the world and be ‘normal’! Just remember that if you do, it’s permanent! There’s no returning!”_

_Shocked, Pema started to say something, but he raised his hand and she fell silent. Jinora’s mouth was hanging open, while Meelo’s disapproval of Ikki’s decision was clear. Rohan just stood there and watched, his eyes wide. Tenzin turned on his heel and quietly left the room. The others followed, leaving Ikki alone._

_Over the next few nights Ikki carefully crept from her room and collected small amounts of money from Pema’s “petty cash” box, which was normally used for unexpected expenses, movers, and such. And on one bright, sunny afternoon, Ikki dressed in her flight suit and made her way down to the sky bison caves. No one questioned why she was there. Why would anyone?_

_A large tourist group was visiting Air Temple Island that day. When they reached the caves, Ikki quickly changed into the pair of everyday clothes she’d worn on that fateful night, stuffed her long hair up into a bright hat some visitor had left behind a few days ago, and joined the group. No one noticed the extra party member._

_When evening came and Ikki didn’t show up for dinner, Pema hurried up to Ikki’s room, calling frantically for Tenzin a moment later. He quickly organized a search party and eventually found someone who remembered seeing Ikki down by the caves. A short time later Meelo found her flight suit. It had been stuffed inside a huge pile of bison dung._

_By that time Ikki had reached the Republic City docks, purchased a ferry ticket, and was on her way to the Fire Nation._

*****

Akiko sat on the edge of the bed and tried to ignore her father’s trembling hands. Tenzin stared at his daughter for some time, searching for the right words. “Where?” he finally asked.

Ikki sat down on the edge of the bed. “I went to the Fire Nation,” she told him. “I found Shin, we got married, and by the way you and Mom have a granddaughter.” She fished out the photo and handed it to him. “Her name is Padme.”

Tenzin studied the shaking photo and smiled. “I’d like to…meet her.”

“You will. Shin had to make some arrangements, but they should be here in a few days. In which time you should be feeling much better and maybe even ready to head back to Air Temple Island, assuming those documents I brought are any help.”

“Documents?”

She took a deep breath and plunged into the deep end. “Dad… I’m Akiko Kaze, head of the Air Nation Archives at the Fire Nation Academy.” She smiled weakly. “I hear you’re really pleased with my work,” she offered.

Tenzin blinked. “I…that was you?” She nodded. “I wondered…” he said slowly. “I wondered why…the quality went up. So that was you…”

 “Dad,” Akiko said quickly before the tears interfered. “I…” She searched for the words. “I guess I wanted you to treat me like an adult, instead of as your daughter,” she finally said, putting one hand down on her dress to keep it from flapping about. One or both of them really needed to get a grip on their emotions. “I’m sorry I deceived you.”

He shook his head. “You have no idea…I loved your letters. Always looked forward to them.”

“Yeah, well,” Akiko sniffled, “I always looked forward to your replies.”

“Tenzin, you need to rest,” Pema jumped in, firmly pushing him back against his pillow. “You two can discuss this further when you’re feeling better. Ikki, let’s let the doctors take care of him for now.” And as she spoke, a nurse was attaching a new bag to his IV line. The breeze along the floor began to dissipate as they left and closed the door behind them.

*****

_The year that followed was exhilarating, terrifying, frustrating, and exhausting. Upon arriving in the Fire Nation, Ikki joined the many displaced colonists who, despite Kuvira’s defeat a few years back, were still fleeing the Earth Kingdom in search of safety, security and stability. In short order she was able to find lodgings at a youth hostel and a job at a nearby restaurant. She waited tables during the day and at night left no stone unturned in her search for Shin. The rational part of her knew that it was a fool’s errand, that there was no possible way to find one boy with such a common name. Her heart, however, refused to give up._

_She kept a wary eye on the news. Her disappearance fed the tabloids for several weeks; the papers ran the gamut from “Master Tenzin’s Daughter Runs Away; Abuse Suspected”, to “Tenzin’s Daughter Pregnant; Hidden Away To Avoid Shame and Scandal”, to “Airbender Vanishes To Join Red Lotus Cult”, to “Where is the Air Temple Princess?” to “Police Still Baffled By Airbender’s Disappearance”. Ikki made careful note of that last one. She figured that her father had begged Chief Beifong to investigate, and Lin knew enough about the situation…and Shin…to have a good idea where Ikki had gone. Fortunately most of the Republic City police force stuck out like sore thumbs in the Fire Nation , so she figured that with a bit of caution she’d remain free._

_More than a few times the homesickness drove her to a telephone. Ikki wanted nothing more than to call her mother and tell her she was all right and just listen to her comforting voice. But the threat of her father picking up and somehow finding her was enough to kill those yearnings._

_Life quickly settled down to a steady routine. Ikki enjoyed waiting on tables and cheerfully volunteered to work the busy shifts. The customers quickly warmed to her as well, especially an older gentleman who insisted on sitting in her section every day at lunch. He was a rumpled, tweedy fellow who always worked on this and that while eating, but he never failed to greet Ikki with a smile and a joke and their conversations were highly entertaining. At some point he introduced himself as a Doctor Ide from the Fire Nation Cultural Academy. Ikki had heard about the place and secretly wished she could attend, but between her lack of funds and her need to remain under the radar, it was a futile wish…or so she thought._

_One afternoon Ikki was clearing away his lunch when she noticed the document he was studying. “That’s Air Nation script, isn’t it?” she commented as she picked up her plate._

_Doctor Ide’s head slowly rose to regard her intently. “You…know what this is?” he said very slowly._

_“Oh yeah. I’ve seen stuff like that before…” She almost added ‘at home’ but caught herself._

_“I don’t suppose you’re able to read it,” Ide asked very, very casually._

_“Sure.” He handed her the aged, faded document. “Okay. This is a letter regarding some repair work done to the Eastern Air Temple. The monks are complaining that the repairman overcharged them for sub-quality work done. They’ve provided a list of their grievances and are offering possible solutions at the bottom. Here you go.” She handed the document back to him. “Be right back.”_

_“Please do,” the professor said slowly. He was still staring pointedly at Ikki when she returned with his bill. “My dear, would you by any chance be interested in attending the Academy?”_

_“Well, of course,” Ikki said, mystified. “But I can’t afford to go, and besides, I was home schooled. I doubt they’d accept me.”_

_“The Academy has a legion of tutors to assist you. As for tuition,” he continued, his voice rising with excitement as he spoke, “I think we could arrange some sort of work-study program on the condition you come work for me in the Air Nation Archives. I am in desperate need of someone with your skills.”_

_“Me?” Ikki squeaked. “I’m nothing special…”_

_“My dear Akiko, do you know how many people at the Academy can read and accurately interpret Air Nation script?”_

_“No…”_

_Ide’s eyes gleamed. “As of this moment, two. Today is your last day waiting on tables. I’ll meet you here tomorrow and take you to the Academy. Congratulations, Akiko. Consider yourself enrolled.”_

*****

Akiko leaned heavily against the wall outside his room, her eyes tightly shut. “I should have prepared you for that,” Pema apologized. “It can be quite a shock, seeing him like this.” She put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“He looks so old and frail,” Akiko said softly. “I kept thinking ‘this can’t be him’, even though I knew it was. And he was so out of it…”

“Part of that is the medication they’ve been giving him to ease the discomfort. He did seem much more focused when he was talking to you.” Pema shook her head. “Unfortunately, I can’t assure you that he’ll remember any of this later.”

“Great.” Akiko sagged against the wall slightly. “I am wiped, Mom. And I just realized I never made any hotel reservations for tonight. I guess I could talk to Korra and Asami…”

“No.” Pema’s curt response made her snap to attention. “You and I are heading back to Air Temple Island tonight, and that is where you and your family will be staying while you’re here.”

“Mom, I’m really not comfortable with going back there…” Akiko complained, but the look in Pema’s eyes brooked no opposition. “All right, you win.” She hesitated for a heartbeat before continuing. “Mom, what’s going on with Rohan? Jinora and Meelo barely said a word about him.”

 “Your brother is having a very difficult time with this,” Pema said quietly. “Rohan has always idolized your father, always set him as the ultimate standard in all things. What you went through when you walked into that room just now? It was a thousand times worse for him.” Pema shook her head. “He also took it very hard when you left.  He was closer to you than Jinora or Meelo, and it hurt him deeply.”

Akiko sighed and nodded. “Sounds like I’ve got some mending to do.”

“Yes,” Pema agreed. “But the important thing to remember is that our family is whole once again. Everything will work out.”

*****

_“Here we are,” Doctor Ide announced. “Welcome to the Air Nation Archives. The filtration masks are over there; you’ll need them.”_

_Ikki had imagined the Air Nation Archives to be something akin to Wan Shi Tong’s Library, based on the tales her grandmother regaled them with back in the day. It would be huge and towering, with corridor after corridor filled with shelves of neatly organized books, all cataloged in a central repository to make retrieval easy._

_The reality was much starker. It was huge, dark and towering, with corridor after corridor filled shelves of book, scrolls…and dust, lots and lots of dust. Akiko quickly grabbed a mask and followed Ide within. “How is it organized?” she asked._

_“It isn’t.” Ide waved a hand around. “Sozin was after two things: first, he wanted as much data on Air Nomads as he could. Know your enemy, as they say. A great deal of this was gathered up after the massacres at the various temples. Second, and probably most importantly, he knew damn well that after Roku’s death, the next Avatar would be an airbender. He gave strict orders to send all birth-related information to him the minute any was found. You can probably guess why.”_

_“Yeah,” Ikki nodded uneasily._

_“It’s quite likely that after killing the new Avatar, he’d planned to do the same thing with the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom successors in order to bring the cycle back around to Fire. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on your point of view, two things got in the way of that initiative. The first of course was that Avatar Aang got himself stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years.”_

_“What was the second?” Ikki asked._

_Ide smiled grimly. “By wiping out the Air Nation, he eliminated anyone who could read or translate the information he’d gathered up. Not that he’d be able to trust any airbender who’d offer or be forced to do the job, of course.” He laughed harshly. “All of this information has been sitting in here collecting dust for over one hundred years. When Fire Lord Zuko assumed the throne, he learned of this repository and after consulting with Aang set up the Archives. He hoped that the information in here might someday benefit the new Air Nation.”_

_“Wow,” Ikki breathed. “So…you’re the only translator here?”_

_“Well, not exactly,” Ide explained. “I teach a small class at the Academy on Air Nation script, and I’ve trained a small handful of assistants. None of them are as proficient as you or I, but every little bit helps. You’ll be helping me with that effort as well as locating and translating the documents Master Tenzin is always nagging us about. Trust me, before too long you’ll wince at the sound of that name as much as I do.”_

_Ikki loved every second she was able to spend in it. There was just so much knowledge there waiting to be revived and presented to the world. If the weather was bad on her days off she’d just wander through the hall, picking up random scrolls and taking them back to her office, where she could spend the day reading with a hot cup of tea and some cookies nearby. Between the Archive and her studies, the Fire Nation was quickly feeling more like home, almost as if she’d always been meant to be there._

_If she could just find Shin, then it would be perfect._

_There was, however, one incident that puzzled her greatly. Doctor Ide had sent her deep into the Archives in search of a particular document the Air Master in Republic City needed (now there was irony!). This particular area was even more heavily layered in dust than most, and after the fourth sneezing attack Ikki was done with it. She summoned a breeze to gather up and sweep the stuff away…_

_“Akiko!” Doctor Ide’s sharp tone startled her; the breeze died and the dust settled back down. He was all but running down the hallway toward her, his face a mixture of anger and fear. “Are you an airbender?” he demanded heatedly._

_“…yes?”_

_He took a deep breath and almost regretted it. “Akiko,” he said in a low, warning tone. “This is not the Earth Kingdom. You’re in the Fire Nation now, and when an airbender is in the Fire Nation **she does not airbend where anyone—ANYONE!—might possibly see her!** Safety is in secrecy! Do you understand me?”_

_“Yes, sir,” she apologized contritely. “I’m very sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”_

_“Good,” he replied, relieved. “I’ve come to rely on you so much, my dear. I would hate to lose you. Now please locate that document, if you would.” He headed back to his office. Ikki eventually found the document and blew the dust off it. As she headed back, she thought about the incident and wondered what all that had been about._

*****

“Welcome home,” Jinora smiled as the ferry chugged over to the Air Temple Island pier. “How does it look after so long?”

Akiko tried to drink it all in at once. “The same,” she finally replied. “But completely different. It’s hard to explain.”

“Things haven’t changed too much,” Pema said as she stepped onto the dock. “Oh, a few things were added or removed, but you know your father. He likes to keep things…”

“…’the way my father built it,’” Meelo finished, rolling his eyes. “I still don’t know how you convinced him to add indoor plumbing and electricity to the acolyte dorms.” His eyes narrowed as a sudden roar came from the bison caves. “Uh-oh,” he said with sudden realization. “Ikki, you’d better…”

Juniper Lightning Bug stormed into view, rapidly descending in an unerring beeline for her beloved partner. She slammed into Akiko joyously and, having knocked her over, proceeded to luck and nuzzle the airbender up one end and down the other. Akiko tried to protest but there was no stopping the bison; it took Meelo and Jinora several minutes to coax her away. “I think she missed you,” Jinora wryly noted as she helped her sister to her feet.

“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay, Junie. I’ll come back later, okay? I promise.”  Akiko rejoined her family and glanced down at her damp and rumpled suit. “Good thing I packed another one just in case,” she sighed, shaking her head.

Ryoko was still working in the kitchen. The acolyte looked at bit older but was still every bit the stunner Akiko remembered. “Welcome home, boss,” she said to Pema. “You know an ‘Akiko Kaze’ by any chance? We got a long-distance phone call for her a while ago.”

“That would be me,” Akiko said hurriedly. “Probably Shin. Mom, could I use your phone?”

“After dinner,” Pema said firmly. “Ryoko’s worked very hard on this meal and I want us to enjoy it as a family. It’s been a very long time since we’ve come together like this.” She looked up and smiled. “Rohan! Look who’s come home!”

Akiko stared at her baby brother, who at seventeen looked anything but. He still had his mother’s gentle green eyes, but his height and build were clearly his father’s, as was his critical gaze. She slowly rose to her feet and walked over to him. “Hey, Rohan. It’s me.”

He nodded curtly. “Hello.” And with that he sat down and pointedly ignored her outstretched arms.

“Rohan,” Pema said in clearly disapproving tones. “Your sister’s come back from the Fire Nation. You should be happy to see her again.” He shrugged slightly and concentrated his attention on anything that wasn’t Akiko. “Rohan…” Pema repeated.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Akiko said quickly. “I understand.”

“So, Ikki, are you sure about having dinner with us?” Meelo commented in a desperate bid to lighten the mood. “I mean, you did give up being a vegetarian and all, right?”

“Yeah. What’s that got to do with anything?”

Meelo smirked. “Obviously you’ve forgotten about all the new acolytes who suddenly switched over from a meat diet,” he remarked. “The first few days, they were either in bed or in the outhouse.”

“Meelo, that’s disgusting,” Jinora declared, trying to hide her own smile.

“That’s right,” Pema declared. “You’re all adults now. Behave like ones.”

“After all,” Jinora giggled, “This is going to be…”

“A CIVILIZED DINNER!” the three siblings said in unison. Rohan remained silent.

 “So anyway, Akiko,” Jinora continued.

“Ikki,” Rohan said curtly from his end of the table.

“As I was saying, **Akiko** , I wanted to tell you what a hit your book about Air Nation culture has been at the Eastern Air Temple. A number of airbenders really took to…certain parts,” she added with a naughty grin.

“I’m glad you liked it. That was my dissertation.” Akiko leaned forward as she talked. “I was really interested in what you thought about the thoughts behind the temple layouts, especially yours. That was a real eye-opener for me.”

 Jinora nodded. “You know, there is one thing…that one mural…the man dressed in the sky bison costume…?”

Akiko laughed and shook her head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“You should have seen your father’s face when he saw that,” Pema said. “Apparently back when your grandfather had first taken him to the Eastern Temple, he made up some sort of story that those rooms were too dangerous and too filthy to go poking around in. Tenzin had no idea that they were where the Air Nomads came to relax and…do other things.”

“Well, in all honesty they weren’t in the best shape, even when I took over,” Jinora admitted. “We’re still working on it, but we have to be especially careful of the wall and ceiling murals. We’re looking at ways to gently remove the dirt but leave the paint intact underneath. We should be at a point to reopen that area in a year or two.”

“So how is Kai?” Akiko asked. “I was kind of surprised he wasn’t here with you.”

Jinora sighed. “He’s out checking on wild sky bison herds. Our daughter Kanna insisted on going with him.  I swear, ever since he found that group at the Northern Air Temple, he’s become even more bison crazy.”

“Hey, he’s become an authority,” Meelo jumped in. “He’s the one who convinced Dad that the domesticated herds needed some outside blood to reduce inbreeding--especially where Oogi’s concerned. He’s fathered just about every litter here on the island. Kai keeps yelling at Dad about it, but he doesn’t see what the issue is.”

“He ought to look at Juicy,” Jinora shuddered. “That alone…”

Akiko turned to Meelo. “So how goes the Northern Air Temple restoration?”

“It’s going slowly but steady,” he said. “We had Bolin and a few Beifongs come up to inspect the foundations. It turns out all that lava actually strengthened things, believe it or not. Kasuke is working with Bataar Senior on plans for the new temple, but I’m hoping we might be able to retrieve a few things from the old one. I’d really like to retain that huge bison mural,” he sighed.

“Yeah, that was so beautiful,” Akiko sighed. “So, what about kids? Have you and Kasuke discussed it?”

“Oh yeah,” Meelo nodded. “We definitely want a family. We’re just waiting.”

“Waiting? Come on, are you going to tell me you can’t find someone who’s willing to assist you?” Akiko teased.

“Oh, trust me, there have been no end of offers,” Meelo smiled. “But we…neither of us are really…you know.”

“So what are you waiting for?” Akiko pressed.

Meelo’s smiled widened. “Sooner or later, one of the Harmonic Convergence airbenders will find herself pregnant, and she won’t want to settle down and raise the baby herself. Kasuke and I will then adopt and raise him…or her…as our own.”

Akiko blinked. “That’s…isn’t that assuming a great deal, Meelo?”

“Are you kidding? Go to the Eastern Air Temple sometime.” Meelo smirked at Jinora. “I swear, those Harmonic Convergence airbenders will jump anything that moves when they visit. It’s just a matter of time, trust me.”

“You know, I’d like to protest that remark,” Jinora sighed, “but I can’t.”

“How about you, Rohan?” Akiko asked hopefully. “How is Kat doing? I heard she was in…” Rohan abruptly rose to his feet and briskly left the room. “…in the Fire Nation,” she completed with a sigh. “I guess I know where I stand with him, huh?”

“He was only eight when you left,” Pema said. “You were closer to him than your siblings, and he’s always been very sensitive.”

“You know, he threw out all of his Pabu stuff right after you left,” Meelo commented. “Mom found it all stuffed into a trash can.”

“Oh no,” Akiko said, shaking her head.

“And I very quickly retrieved all of it before it was burned,” Pema added. “I’ve still got it in the attic somewhere. Give him some time, Ikki. He’ll think about it and come around soon.”

“I hope so,” Akiko sighed.

****

_Time flew by so quickly. Ikki immersed herself in her classes and found herself near the top of the class. In addition to her translation work, she found herself tutoring several students in Air Nation script at Doctor Ide’s request. “Many hands make light work,” he said. “Or at least that’s the theory. That blasted Air Master in Republic City keeps asking for more and more…”_

_One afternoon she arrived at her desk to find an envelope waiting for her. The handwriting was immediately familiar to her; her father had a very flowing and distinctive style. Trembling, Ikki pulled the letter out; to her utter shock, it was addressed to “Kurosawa Akiko” and was filled with rapturous praise and appreciation for her work on a recent pile of documents.  Stunned, Ikki stumbled over to Ide’s office and showed the letter to him._

_He nodded in approval. “The last time I spoke to him, he had nothing but praise for your work. I suggested he write you and tell you those things himself.”_

_“Thank you,” Ikki nodded. “But ‘Kurosawa’?”_

_“You needed a surname. It’s a very common one in the Fire Nation, so I figured it would do. You mean you hadn’t noticed until now?”_

_Ikki blinked. “Actually, no. But why…”_

_Ide looked up at her sternly. “Young lady, contrary to the popular belief of my students I am not an idiot. Where you came from and what you called yourself prior to your arrival here is of no concern to me. Whatever secrets you may be keeping, rest assured they are and will remain your secrets.” He returned his attention to the papers on his desk. “And by the way, as a reward for your diligent work Master Tenzin has requested several additional papers. As it’s said, no good deed goes unpunished. The details are on your desk.”_

_“Thank you sir,” Ikki said sincerely. “Thank you very much.”_

*****

“Well, this is weird,” Akiko commented later. She and Jinora were sitting on the outside steps, sipping wine and staring up at the evening sky. The evening breeze was cool and gentle as it brushed past them. Akiko had to admit she’d missed Jinora, and truth be told being here like this with rather…nice.

“I know,” Jinora laughed. “Considering how often we fought, it’s a wonder we ended up on speaking terms, isn’t it?”

“Ehhh, you weren’t so bad, ‘Jin-Jin’,” Akiko grinned. She sipped at her wine. “Hey, question. Did you ever use your spirit form thing to find me? I always wondered when I was going to look up and see you floating above me at an inopportune time.”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Jinora said, rolling her eyes and snorting for emphasis. “Spirits, if I had a yuan for everyone who’s asked me something like that…” She shook her head. “I knew you were okay,” she finally said in a softer voice. “That kind of resonance…it’s strong, especially where family’s concerned. I…knew something was wrong with Dad the day it happened. By the time I got a call I practically had Pepper airborne.”

“Wow,” Akiko breathed. “That’s something. So…what’s going with Rohan? Besides me.”

“Oh, I think you can guess some of it,” Jinora said quietly. “He’s frustrated because Kat’s studying in the Fire Nation and he’s stuck here. Let’s face it, when you’re seventeen and horny, and your true love and soulmate is ten…”

“Hey, in our family, seven years age difference is an improvement.”

“Very true,” Jinora acknowledged. “Plus, you know, the whole Dad thing. Rohan has to be the Dutiful Son and stay here to assist Dad while everyone else has gone to the four winds.” Jinora stretched and yawned. “So when do we meet your husband and daughter?”

“That phone call was from Shin. He and Padme should arrive tomorrow.”

“Good thing. Mom would kill you, otherwise.” Jinora chuckled. “Do you know how often I get nagged about ‘when are you going to have more children’? Don’t worry, you’ll be finding out soon, now that she knows where you are.”

“One Padme is plenty right now,” Akiko groaned. “Plus we need a bigger house before we even consider a second kid.”

“Well, just between you and me,” Jinora whispered, “I’m about six weeks along with number two, myself.”

“What?” Akiko gasped. “Give me that!” She snatched the glass from her sister’s hand. “You shouldn’t be drinking when…”

“Shhhh!” Jinora hissed. “You want Mom to hear? Besides, a little wine keeps my stomach settled down. If I started throwing up, she’d be on to me immediately. I wanted to wait until Dad was home to tell them.”

“Okay, okay,” Akiko conceded. “So,” she continued with a grin. “Are you going to raise this one yourself or give it to Meelo?”

“Shut up.”

*****

_Another letter from her father sat on her desk. Ikki eagerly opened it; much to her surprise, she was enjoying the back-and-forth correspondence. Tenzin’s missives were informative, somewhat opinionated, and occasionally whimsical. He treated Kurosawa Akiko as a contemporary whose own thoughts were valued. If it weren’t for the pang of guilt she felt over the deception, Ikki would have been utterly thrilled._

_This letter concerned his notes and thoughts on the latest section of her dissertation. Ikki had forwarded them to him, hoping that the discussion would result in a stronger paper (and by extension, a doctorate). And once again, he asked if she might consider calling into his Sunday morning radio program. It was temping, admittedly, but all it would take was a “Dad” at the wrong time and that would be that._

_“Miss Kurosawa,” Hikari said with an amused expression. “There’s a very handsome Palace Guardsman here to see you.” She raised an eyebrow in naughty speculation._

_“A guardsman?” Ikki said, frowning. “Did he say why he wants to speak with me?”_

_“He’s on orders,” Hikari replied, still grinning. “And his uniform has a blue dragon on the front.”_

_Ikki’s eyes widened; she knew of only one group with that particular insignia. “All right,” she said shakily. “Send him on in.” What would one of Princess Azula’s personal guards want….?_

_Hikari gestured for the stranger to present himself. He was tall, dark-haired, probably quiet and most likely a great dancer…and recognition was immediate. “…Shin?” she squeaked._

_His eyes were pouring over her as though she was a work of art. “Akiko?” he breathed. “I…is it really you? I never thought…” That was all he got out before she leaped into his arms, hugging him with every fiber of her being._

*****

Tenzin glanced down at the quivering mound of gelatin on his plate and sighed. Yes, it was a great relief to feel relatively cognizant again; those anti-bending drugs had left him in such a stupor and kept him in a constant state of nausea. The problem now was that he was acutely aware of his personal hygiene or lack thereof. There was also the damned shaking which made chopsticks next to impossible; hence the…he believed they called it a ‘spork’. And the food choices…

Pema stepped into the room. “Good morning, dear,” she said with a warm smile. “You’re looking much better today. We might even be able to hold a conversation with complete sentences!”

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” he grumbled as he slowly raised the spoon to his mouth.

“I’m sorry but yes, you were. But now that they’ve got you off those awful drugs, we can talk about things.” Pema sat down beside him on the bed and took his free hand.”The doctors say that if the new medications settle your tremor down, you’ll be home by the end of the week. There’ll be some physical therapy to help you recover from the stroke, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. “That’s promising.”

“And once you’re home, there’ll be some changes to help you,” Pema assured him, still smiling. “You’re going to relinquish some of your duties to Jinora, Meelo and Rohan, for one thing. They can take over the advanced training; they’ve been ready to do so for ages, you admitted that yourself.”

“Well, yes, but…”

“And you’re going to resume having meals with me,” Pema continued. “And you’re going to sleep in the same bed with me. We’re going to keep you on a consistent schedule. Maybe we’ll finally take some of those vacations we’ve always talked about but never gotten around to because of ‘Air Nation Business’. Maybe we’ll even go visit Ikki and her family in the Fire Nation!”

Tenzin blinked. “Ikki? Where…wait…” He struggled to recapture a foggy memory. “Was Ikki here…?”

“Yes, she was. You two have a lot of catching up to do. It’s long past time our family came together again.” She leaned toward him, her face now stern. “And mister, from now on, when you’re not feeling well, if you’re hurting, if you even suspect there might be something wrong, you are going to com-mun-i-cate with your wife. No more hiding. No more secrets. We are in this together, now and forever. Do you understand me, Tenzin?”

Despite her warning, he actually smiled back at her. “Yes, dear.”

*****

_“LOST AIRBENDER SEEN IN BA SING SE: SEX SLAVE TO PRINCE WU?”_

_“MISSING AIRBENDER PRINCESS: ON LIFE-CHANGING TRIP WITH FIRE LORD ZUKO?”_

_“AIRBENDER GIRL SPOTTED IN ROMANTIC TRYST WITH NORTHERN WATER TRIBE RULERS!”_

_“LOST AIRBENDER PRINCESS SAVED OUR LIVES! THE INSIDE STORY FROM AVALANCHE SURVIVORS!”_

_Ikki sighed and added the latest clippings to her private scrapbook. It was almost comical how every six months or so a new round of “lost airbender” articles and interviews rolled out. She’d have thought the public’s interest in the story would have died out ages ago, but apparently people were as insatiable as ever for any tidbit of news or gossip about her._

_There were magazine and newspaper articles. There were radio call-in programs, the views of which sometimes made the tabloids mild by comparison. There were books and even a mover or two early on. Ikki had gone to one and left laughing and shaking her head; the storyline had her running away from home to the Fire Nation, where she became an avenging vigilante for the poor and defenseless. Varrick did love the melodrama._

_It did bother her to read the interviews with her parents and siblings. Meelo always gave a curt ‘no comment’, while Jinora sought a balanced, conciliatory response that was obviously calculated to give her younger sister motivation to return home. Oddly enough, no one ever asked Rohan for his thoughts. But her mother and father…the despair and sorrow in their faces as they talked were almost enough to, if not drive her home, at least consider making a phone call. She couldn’t take that chance, of course, but a part of her still ached for her family._

_As her fame and reputation grew, reporters sought Doctor Kaze out for her opinions. She never gave face-to-face interviews, relying solely on the phone, and she was consistently non-committal in her thoughts. She had to be; one wrong word could bring everything crashing down._

_Ikki wasn’t going back to that stifling, oppressive world of tattoos and temples. Not for anything._

_*****_

Akiko’s face brightened as the elevator doors opened. “Finally,” she breathed as her family emerged. “Mom, everyone—this is my husband, Shin.” He nodded and bowed politely to the assembly. “Shin, this is my mother, my sister Jinora, my brother Rohan, and The Meelo. “

“Pleased to meet you,” Jinora said, clearly impressed. “VERY nice,” she added under her breath to her sister.

“And here is my…my…” Akiko looked around wildly. “Where in the hell is my daughter?”

“Finally,” Tenzin sighed as he regarded himself in the mirror. It was amazing what a difference some personal hygiene made. A bath, a shave, some judicious trimming of the mustache and beard…it was somewhat annoying that he wasn’t able to do all those things himself, but still it was nice to feel human again. It was even better that they’d stopped giving him all those nasty anti-bending medications (“Bend-B-Gone”? Only Varrick…) and switched to something effective for a change…

Tenzin suddenly became aware of a pair of grey blue eyes peering up at him. “Hello?”

She was short and wiry with long brown hair and a mischievous smile. “Hi, Mister. Would you have any candy for a hungry little girl?”

There was something delightfully familiar about her, Tenzin thought. “I’m sorry, no. Do you know where your parents are?”

“Oh, sure.”

Tenzin’s smile broadened. “Well then…do **they** know where **you** are?”

“Dunno.” The child abruptly jumped onto the side of Tenzin’s bed, which was rather odd because he didn’t think she was tall or strong enough to do that. “I found some candy at the nurses’ station but had to wait because my mom got to them first she doesn’t like it when I get candy with sugar in it because she says it aggravates my hyperactivity but I don’t think that’s true and I met the Avatar a little while ago and she gave me something called a Korra Bar but it wasn’t very good it was all nuts and granola without any sugar and I think it was a **healthy snack**.” Those last two words were absolutely dripping with the disdain only a six year old could summon; Tenzin had to chuckle.

She peered up at him and abruptly changed tracks. “You have tattoos.”

“Yes, I do. They identify me as a Master Airbender. Now, shouldn’t we tell your parents where you are?”

The child was still focused on his head. “You should be careful, mister. ‘Tattoos are targets’, you know.”

Tenzin blinked in surprise. “Really?” he said slowly. “Is that what they say?”

She nodded solemnly. “’There is safety in our silence’. My grandma taught me that. My name is Padme.”

“That’s a very pretty name,” Tenzin complimented her. “That was my wife’s name when she lived in the Fire Nation. She changed it to ‘Pema’ when she came here.”

“I’m named after my other grandma. I’ve never met her.” Her attention returned to his arrow. “Do you look like a big red tomato with a blue arrow when you get mad? My mommy says her daddy used to do that all the time, but she ran away because she had to find her own path but now she’s come back because her daddy is very sick and she thinks she’d better see him before he dies.”

“And what is your mother’s name?” Tenzin asked. The pieces of the puzzle were falling ever more quickly into place.

“Mommy, duh.” Padme rolled her eyes.

Tenzin was still laughing when the door flew open; a tall, brown-haired woman with glasses came running in, followed quickly by a very handsome young man wearing a Fire Nation guardsman uniform with a blue dragon on the lapel. “Padme! What have I told you about running off on your own in strange places? I should…” She suddenly realized that Tenzin was staring at her and smiled weakly. “Uhhh…hi Dad.”

Tenzin drank in the sight of his long-lost daughter. “Ikki…?”

She nodded. “It’s me, dad. I guess you don’t really remember the other day, huh? And uh…this is your granddaughter Padme.” Akiko stumbled forward to embrace him, only to be blocked by a bundle of energy.

“Yay!” Padme yelled. “I’ve got a grandpa!” She turned and leaned forward him, her eyes intent. “Are you **sure** you don’t have any candy…Grandpa?”

*****

_“I think it’s time, Kaoru.”_

_Ikki’s mother-in-law shook her head decisively. “Absolutely not, dear. This is not a decision you can just make arbitrarily, not with so much at stake.” She sipped at her tea. “What you’re proposing to do will have a devastating impact on hundreds of lives here. These are people who had ‘safety is in our secrecy’ drilled into their heads from childhood, and now you’re talking about exposing them.” She shook her head. “Unacceptable.”_

_Ikki sighed. “Look, sooner or later this is going to happen,” she pointed out. “You’re talking about the elders, the older generation. They’re terrified at the thought, and I understand that, I really do. But the younger kids…they don’t feel that way. The Fire Nation has been at peace for over a hundred years…”_

_“…for now,” Kaoru pointed out tersely._

_“For now,” Ikki conceded. “But these younger people…they don’t feel that oppressive fear over their shoulders all the time. Everything that happened with Harmonic Convergence…the world has changed and they want to be part of it. They’ve come in and talked to me; they don’t see the need to stay hidden. Sooner or later one of them, maybe more, will emerge. Someone will go to Republic City and reveal themselves. Then what?”_

_“Dear, I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m simply pointing out that the elders…”_

_“The new generation disagrees,” Ikki retorted. “They’re tired of following that path. They want to find their own.”_

_Kaoru smiled. “And they found the perfect spokesperson in you, didn’t they, my dear?” Her smile broadened at her daughter-in-law’s embarrassment. “I’ll speak to the elders,” she finally said. “I think what you’re proposing to do is important just for historical purposes alone, not just for what it will do in the immediate. I don’t know how they’ll respond, though.”_

_“I respect their feelings on the subject,” Ikki nodded. “But I’m going through with this no matter what. It’s time to leave the shadows.”_

_“And what about your situation?” Kaoru asked. “Don’t you think it’s time you stepped forward and reconciled with your family, like I’ve suggested over the past three years?”_

_Ikki sighed and nodded again. “I was planning to write about my own experiences. I can tell my father prior to publication—maybe send him a proof and let him read it…”_

_“Or you could simply pick up the phone and call them.” Kaoru leaned forward, her eyes intent. “Do it before the decision is made for you, dear.”_

_Ikki looked away. “Maybe.”_

*****

“You gave her sugar.”

Tenzin smiled at his daughter’s remonstrance and watched young Padme roar through the gates over and over atop her air bubble. Meelo and Rohan had varied speed, changed rotation abruptly, even blindfolded her at one point but Tenzin’s newly-revealed granddaughter blew through all their tests with ease. He leaned back in his courtyard chair and sighed contentedly; it was good to be home.

“It wasn’t me,” he finally replied to Akiko. “And I know for a fact that your mother hid the good cookies for that very reason. Padme is a very resourceful young lady.”  Tenzin regarded her critically. “Rohan is very impressed with her. He says that someone has trained Padme **very** extensively.”

“I’ll have to thank him for the compliment,” Akiko said noncommittally.

“He also said,” Tenzin continued slowly and carefully, “she’s using Eastern Air Temple katas in her bending. I found that interesting, especially no one knew anything of that style until a young lady named Mitsuki showed up a year ago with two of her friends. She claimed she learned the techniques from some old scrolls that she unfortunately wasn’t able to bring with her.”

“Do tell.”

Tenzin chuckled. “I had a feeling you’d say something like that. Have you met Meelo’s partner Kasuke yet?  He arrived with Mitsuki.”

“No. We seem to keep missing each other.” Akiko nodded toward Padme, who was now chasing an errant lemur on her air bubble. “So what do you think of her?”

Tenzin looked over at his daughter and smiled. “She very much reminds me of someone who used to live here.”

“I’ve heard that a lot the past week or so,” Akiko muttered. She flopped down in the chair beside him. “So…when are you going to yell at me?”

Tenzin frowned. “Why would I do that?”

“Oh, for running away, not getting my tattoos, not telling you where I was or more importantly who I was, that kind of stuff.” Akiko waved a hand in the air. “For what it’s worth…I’m sorry.”

“What’s done is done,” her father replied softly. “I have wondered, though, if and when you were going to tell us had this not happened.”

“It would have been soon,” Akiko said quietly. She took a deep breath. “Dad…there are two things I want you to do. Please.”

“I’m listening.”

Akiko nodded. “Okay. First…there’s a doctor in the Fire Nation that I want you to see. The documents I gave your doctors…they came from him, not the Archives. I just rewrote them to make it seem like I’d translated them. He’s…familiar with patients who share your condition.”

Tenzin’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. Also…I’ve got a new book coming out soon. I’d like you to read this copy, and when you visit, you can tell me what you think of it.” She handed the manuscript to him.

 Tenzin idly thumbed through the pages. “Really? What’s it about?”

“I can’t say.” Akiko sighed in exasperation at her father’s expression. “Look, I’m sorry but there are reasons I have to stay silent, Dad--important reasons. You’ll understand when you read it.”

Tenzin regarded her critically. “Would this have anything to do with ‘Tattoos are targets’, I wonder? Or ‘our safety is in our secrecy’?”

“Oh spirits,” Akiko groaned to the sky. “My daughter has a big mouth.”

“It sounded to me as though those credos had been thoroughly drilled into her,” Tenzin noted.

“Dad…” Akiko shook her head. “Can we postpone this conversation until you’ve read the damned book?”

 “I’m sure it will be quite enlightening,” Tenzin replied sagely. “I’m assuming this means you’ll be heading back to the Fire Nation soon?”

“I have to, Dad,” Akiko said with a hint of regret. “I’ve got so much work piled up.” She managed a smile. “Besides, those damned airbenders have probably added to it while I’ve been gone. I swear they never stop with their requests.”

“I’ll have a word with them, if that will help,” Tenzin offered.

“It might, if you weren’t the worst offender,” Akiko retorted. She hesitated. “I…would like to come back and visit every so often…if you don’t mind?”

“Mind?” Tenzin declared. “Would I mind if my daughter and her family came to see me? Of course I wouldn’t mind!” He paused in mid-rant and winked. “Padme has to come along, though. Your mother will insist.”

“Okay, okay,” Akiko groaned, rolling her eyes. “I see where I stand these days. She loves this place, Dad. She calls it her big playground.”

“Well, who knows?” Tenzin noted, smiling. “Perhaps she’ll run away from home some day, show up here and demand her tattoos?” He laughed long and loud; Akiko smiled and shook her head. Much to her surprise…it was good to be home again.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the story that started it all; it's also the one that damn near killed me. I've lost count of how many versions I've written and rewritten, but there comes a point in time when you just have to publish or be damned. Hope you like it and the "big reveal" is worth it.


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